


care

by agni_kai



Series: Kinktober 2020 [12]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Dacryphilia, Hand Jobs, Kinktober, Kinktober 2020, M/M, Morning Sex, just two boys being soft nothing to see here, officially this is for the dacryphilia tag but it's pretty minor, the true kink is self-care
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:55:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27315142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agni_kai/pseuds/agni_kai
Summary: Day 12:Feet|Shotgunning|DacryphiliaThe only thing better than Sokka waking up early enough for morning sex is when said morning sex makes Zuko late for his meetings."Stop being mean about my boyfriend," he says, very seriously, and his next kiss is to Zuko's temple. "I'm honour-bound to defend him against all insults, you know. I take my duties very seriously."
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Kinktober 2020 [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950004
Comments: 14
Kudos: 300
Collections: Kinktober 2020





	care

**Author's Note:**

> set one year post-canon aged 16 and 17 - the first of the kinktober fics to have the underage warning attached
> 
> this is the most vanilla thing i've written in the last month. just consider it these boys laying the groundwork for all the kink they'll discover in the future?
> 
> in case you didn't notice, october is now over. kinktober is not. work is much less hectic now than it has been for the last couple of weeks, though, so i should be able to get more done without all the 2am posting i was doing before, fingers crossed

Zuko wakes with the dawn, as usual. What's very much _not_ usual is the fact that Sokka's lips at the nape of his neck are not slack with sleep, tickling him with the slow breathing that's the closest Sokka will ever get to meditation, but are pressing tiny kisses along his hairline, pausing at his pulse-point.  
  
His heart rate must have picked up, because Sokka hums softly and tightens his arms, pulling Zuko back flush against his chest. "Mornin'."  
  
Zuko tilts his head back against the shoulder behind him, giving Sokka more room to work. They both know the rules about leaving marks where people can see, but that doesn't mean Sokka can't melt him into a Zuko-shaped puddle of _want_ with just a few brushes of his lips against the most sensitive parts of his neck.  
  
"Good morning," he whispers back, self-conscious about how his voice sounds first thing but knowing that Sokka is very appreciative of it on the rare occasions he's awake early enough. Speaking of- "You're up early."  
  
"Mm. Didn't sleep well. Thought I might as well stay awake and admire my pretty boyfriend."  
  
Zuko doesn't even bother trying to fight the blush as he turns, still wrapped in Sokka's arms, to face him. "Did you have nightmares again? I've told you, you should wake me-"  
  
Sokka's nightmares aren't as loud or as violent as Zuko's, more prone to waking in silent breathless terror than mid-panic attack or with screams. If Zuko is already deeply asleep, he doesn't usually wake, and it makes him feel _so_ shitty. Sokka is always there for him after nightmares, what sort of a boyfriend is he-  
  
"It's okay, baby." Sokka presses his lips against Zuko's temple for a moment. "Waking up and knowing you're here is enough. The ones I've had when we've been in different beds are... harder, I guess. But you're here, so I get to hold you and go back to sleep. You're enough of an insomniac as it is, I don't need to wake you up _more_."  
  
Zuko reaches up, cupping a hand against his cheek. "Still. Promise me you will if you need to. You said it yourself - I'm an insomniac already, what's a bit less sleep?"  
  
"Don't _joke_ ," Sokka complains, ignoring Zuko's quiet "Says _you_ ," and leans down to kiss him properly. "I forgot!" he says after a second, brightening. "Happy anniversary, sweetheart!"  
  
"Happy-" What has he forgotten?  
  
There hadn't been a solid start to their relationship, a moment he could point to where it all began. There had been looks, and touches filled with plausible deniability, and there had been the night before the invasion - but that was just taking comfort in a friend, wasn't it? Sokka had said it happened all the time back home. And they'd all slept in the same room in the palace, much to the consternation of his guards, but after the others had filtered back to separate rooms over the coming weeks, Sokka had stayed. And somewhere in all of that, what they were had solidified, and after some time away Sokka had turned up at the palace with an armful of scrolls and a letter from Chief Hakoda and a sheepish smile. And then, more or less, he'd _really_ stayed.  
  
Nowhere in there was a solid enough day to be marked as an _anniversary_.  
  
Sokka must take pity on him and his baffled panic. "You haven't forgotten anything! It's your coronation anniversary. Crowning anniversary? No, that makes it sound like it's when you were born-"  
  
Zuko hides his smile against Sokka's chest, knowing he can feel it against his skin. "That's next week, isn't it? Have I overslept for so long that I missed all the anniversary preparations?"  
  
A shrug, shoulder bumping the side of Zuko's head. "By your calendar, I guess. A year, twelve moons, whatever. I'm saying happy anniversary today."  
  
Zuko hums and makes a mental note to keep track of important dates for the two of them in both calendaring systems.  
  
Sokka ignores him in favour of scattering kisses across the top of his head, probably getting several mouthfuls of hair. "One year of being Firelord, baby. Look, one whole year and you're doing so _good_."  
  
"I'm really not," Zuko mumbles, pressing closer into Sokka's chest and feeling his arms tighten. "But thanks anyway."  
  
"You _are!_ " Sokka rolls onto his back and pulls Zuko with him, ignoring the way he squeaks in surprise. He gives up after a moment and drapes himself across Sokka properly, face tucked into the crook of his neck, not even touching the bed except with one foot.  
  
"'m _not_ ," he insists, muffled.  
  
The exaggerated sigh is enough to shift his whole body, saved from sliding off Sokka's chest only by arms around his waist. "Not exactly sure what you expect to be doing better, gonna be honest."  
  
"Still too many regressionists on the council," he says into Sokka's shoulder.  
  
"And you've already started removing them and making it clear that you're not going to put up with it."  
  
"That whole mess with the propaganda and the curriculum-"  
  
"-is well on its way to being sorted. You're already working on it. What else are you going to bring up?" One hand leaves Zuko's back and comes up to play with his hair. "Justice for citizens exploited by soldiers? That petitions court is almost up and running, although Tui knows how you'll have time to handle that yourself on top of everything else. What other shit are you going to bring up?"  
  
Sokka shifts until he can gently tug Zuko's head up to look at him, and it's almost physically painful to see how _honest_ those blue eyes look, still bleary with sleep but staring up at him with so much _adoration_ -  
  
"Stop it," he says suddenly, not even sure what Sokka's doing or what he wants him to stop. "Just- _Stop it_. I'm not- I haven't- Whatever you're thinking about me, I don't deserve it. There's still _so much_ left to do-"  
  
"Why are you like this," Sokka says, and it's not even a question. To be fair, it doesn't need to be. He knows the answer. "C'mere, you-" He hauls Zuko back into his arms and doesn't complain when he hides his face again.  
  
"I'm not doing enough," Zuko whispers into the side of his neck. "There's so much to fix."  
  
"Mhm," Sokka says, lips against the top of his head. "So when are you going to write to chew Aang out for not putting the world back in balance yet?"  
  
Zuko frowns, knowing Sokka will feel it. "I'm not - Aang's a kid, he can't-"  
  
"Yeah? What about having a go at me and Katara and our dad for not rebuilding the South? We've got a lot of shit to do and it feels like we've barely started."  
  
"I know what you're trying to do."  
  
"Is it working?"  
  
Zuko grumbles and buries his face deeper in Sokka's neck. It's not like it's a conversation they haven't rehashed innumerable times. It's not even an argument anymore - and Sokka has varying levels of tolerance before he'll tell Zuko to stop being so self-pitying. He has an excellent instinct for when Zuko is _really_ breaking down and needs to talk things out versus when he's just falling back on old instincts and needs a push.  
  
"You're doing good," Sokka says again, punctuating his words with kisses. "You're doing _great_."  
  
" _Good_ I'll accept." Zuko toys with the loose ends of Sokka's hair, idly noting that he'll have to redo his braids soon. "But great is stupid. I'm not _great_ at anything. Average, maybe. Mediocre."  
  
Sokka snorts, thumb brushing circles over Zuko's hip. "Wow, what a compliment to our sex lives. _Mediocre_."  
  
"I wasn't talking about that, the sex is good, the sex is-"  
  
"Great?" He ignores Zuko's scowl. "Good to see you admitting it, sweetheart."  
  
"You know that's not what I meant-"  
  
"Are you the one I'm fucking? Yes. Is the fucking great? Also yes. That means _you_ are great." He ignores Zuko's vague noise of complaint. "I'll have you know Ambassador Shen called me a _genius_ last week. You're not disagreeing with a genius, are you, baby?"  
  
"You're dumb," Zuko mumbles, but shifts to let Sokka flip them. He's still half-asleep with the sun barely over the horizon and Sokka's weight over him is grounding, forearms braced on either side of his head, caging in Zuko's hips and thighs with his own. "And hard," he notes, suddenly feeling much more awake. He must have been sprawled just the wrong way to miss that when he was on top, otherwise he would have done something about it.  
  
Sokka ducks his head to kiss him, slow and deep. "Want me to-?"  
  
" _Yes_."  
  
"Didn't even know what I was going to say, sweetheart."  
  
"Don't care. Want you."  
  
Sokka shifts to trace a careful line of kisses along Zuko's jawline. "Will you let me take care of you, baby?"  
  
Zuko shivers and tips his head back, welcoming Sokka's touch. "Mhm."  
  
What he _really_ wants is for Sokka to fuck all these emotions out of him, all the stress and chaos and doubt, all of these fragile little feelings when Sokka is looking at him that scare him more than should be possible. He wants bruises on his hips that Sokka can squeeze through his robes as they go about the rest of the day, he wants to be feeling it as he sits through his meetings, he wants, he _wants_ -  
  
But Sokka is touching him like he's something precious, something delicate, and he can't bring himself to tell him to stop.  
  
"Only the best lazy morning sex for the best boyfriend," Sokka murmurs, sliding one hand up Zuko's thigh, stopping just short of where he should be.  
  
Zuko flushes crimson, turning his head to one side, and Sokka doesn't seem fazed by the kiss landing on his unscarred cheek rather than his lips. "'m not," he says, and squeaks as Sokka pinches him lightly on the inside of his thigh.  
  
"Stop being mean about my boyfriend," he says, very seriously, and his next kiss is to Zuko's temple. "I'm honour-bound to defend him against all insults, you know. I take my duties very seriously."  
  
"I can't be the best boyfriend when that's _your_ job."  
  
Sokka laughs at that, breath tickling his hairline. "Nah. I'm not the one who organises all our date nights at the turtleduck pond, am I? I'm not the one who wants us to coordinate our outfits for all your fancy parties-" He works one hand up under Zuko's loose sleep robe, smearing a drop of pre-cum with his thumb and kissing away Zuko's little gasp as he arches up against him. "Always know how to make me feel better, always putting up with me being stubborn, always here when I need to talk-"  
  
Sokka pulls his hand free again, tugging Zuko's sash open to let the thin silk pool around his ribs, and spits into his palm. It should be gross, Zuko knows, but there's something about Sokka knowing how to take care of him that makes him _ache_.  
  
"Always so good for me," he breathes against Zuko's cheekbone, getting his hand around him just tightly enough that Zuko has to buck his hips up against it. "Let me be good to you, this time?"  
  
Zuko bites his lip, seeing how Sokka's eyes dart to it. "Yeah," he manages, breath hitching at the twist of Sokka's hand. "Yes. _Please_."  
  
"Please, what?"  
  
Zuko blinks up at him, brain already addled by Sokka's weight and touch and voice. Spirits, he's _gone_ for this man. It would be embarrassing if Sokka didn't love it so much. "Please- I don't-"  
  
Sokka's hand doesn't falter, moving slow and purposeful, his own cock hard and hot against Zuko's bare hip. "You're so _good_ , baby. So pretty, so gorgeous, make it so hard for me to tease you-" He nips along the line of Zuko's collarbone, making him squirm, torn between his hand and his mouth. "And so strong. So fucking _dedicated_. You need to rest, sweetheart. Need to lie back and let me take care of you."  
  
His hand is still so _slow_ , fuck, it's not enough-  
  
"Please, Sokka," he mumbles, screwing his eyes closed and trying to press up into the touch even with Sokka's weight holding him down. "Need _more_ -"  
  
"What you need," Sokka murmurs, lips brushing the shell of his ear. "Is to let me show you how much you deserve this. Just take what I'm giving you, so _good_ for me, sweetheart-"  
  
Zuko twists under him, tangling his fingers into Sokka's hair, hitching a leg up to press a heel into the back of his thigh as he tries to urge him faster. "Sokka," he moans again, knowing he sounds _desperate_. "You don't need to be gentle with me, _please_ -"  
  
"I know I don't need to." Sokka shifts on his elbow to smooth Zuko's hair back from his forehead, twisting his hand again to make Zuko squirm. "But I want to. You work so _hard_ , baby. Let me be good to you."  
  
"You're torturing me," Zuko tries to say, but something is shifting from not enough to _too_ _much_. Sokka's hand slow and gentle, brushing kisses across his face and neck, whispering adoration in his ear, _watching_ him, and he has to bite back a sob, turning his face blindly into the pillows and rocking up against Sokka. "Please," he manages instead. "Please, _please_ -"  
  
A thumb brushes his unscarred cheek and Zuko whines softly, pushing into the touch, and- Oh. Is he-?  
  
"Good crying or bad crying?" Sokka asks, lips following the path of his thumb, hand pausing for a moment.  
  
"Don't _stop_ ," Zuko pleads, and feels rather than hears the little huff of laughter as the motion of Sokka's hand picks up again. "And...good. It's good, it _is_ , it's just a _lot_ -"  
  
"That's it, baby," Sokka soothes, kissing away another tear that Zuko hadn't even noticed. "C'mon, that's it. Are you going to tell me what you need?"  
  
_I have_ , Zuko wants to say, but he knows that what he needs from Sokka, under his lips and hands and gaze, can't be broken down into _more_ or _faster_ or _harder_ , knows that what he needs is exactly what Sokka is giving him. Knows that Sokka sometimes recognises what he needs better than he does himself. Wonders how that happened without him noticing.  
  
He turns his face back into Sokka's touch, seeking out his lips with his own, tangles his fingers into his hair.  
  
"Please take care of me," he whispers against Sokka's lips, and feels the full-body shudder that runs through him.  
  
"Of course I will, baby," Sokka breathes between kisses. "Of course I will. Always."  
  
His hand doesn't pick up its pace, doesn't tighten, doesn't falter, and Zuko shakes apart with a desperate little noise buried in his neck.  
  
"Sokka," he whispers. " _Sokka_ -"  
  
"I've got you," Sokka says into his hair, holding him closer, and Zuko clings to him as he comes down from it, wrapped up in strong arms and grounded by Sokka's weight.  
  
"Um," he says into Sokka's shoulder once his brain is working again. It takes a while.  
  
"You good, baby?" Sokka nuzzles his hair again.  
  
"Mhm. I just-" Zuko extracts himself from Sokka enough to scrub at his face, biting his lip. "I don't- That's never _happened_ before. Unless we-" Spirits, he just knows he's bright red.  
  
"Unless I was _trying_ to tease you until you cried?" Sokka kisses him, slow and careful, and is clearly trying not to laugh at how Zuko squirms at that. "Gonna be honest, once I knew it wasn't bad crying, that's pretty hot."  
  
Zuko squints up at him, trying to ignore how much of a mess he must be. "Really?"  
  
"Knowing I can take you apart like that just by being _nice_ to you? Of course that's hot, baby."  
  
"You haven't cum," Zuko says after a moment, instead of trying thinking about why _he_ thinks that's hot, too.  
  
"Mm. Just-" Sokka shifts up onto his knees and reaches down under him with a hand still smeared with cum, keeping one elbow braced beside Zuko's head. "Just stay there and keep looking pretty. I'm so _close_ -"  
  
It takes barely any time at all, and the way Sokka moans into his mouth - and the fact that he got this close just from teasing Zuko for the best part of half an hour - is almost enough to get him hard again. Maybe this time Sokka will give it to him hard and fast and dirty, just the way he'd wanted when he'd woken up-  
  
The knock on the door halts the downward progression of Zuko's hand on its way to get Sokka worked up again.  
  
"There's not long to go until your meeting, my Lord." One of his attendants, although he can't tell who when it's muted by the door. "Your breakfast has been laid out, but you don't appear to have eaten?"  
  
"I overslept," Zuko calls weakly, knowing full well that it'll _never_ be an acceptable excuse for a firebender and trying to ignore the laughter muffled against his shoulder. "I'll be out shortly."  
  
"Of course, my Lord."  
  
He waits for footsteps to retreat from the door, then pushes Sokka off himself with a groan, wincing at the feeling of half-dried cum.  
  
"This is why we never have morning sex," he complains to Sokka, still sprawled across the bed as he wipes himself down at the washbasin across the room, and winces at the crash of something being dropped in the next room over.  
  
Time for their sex lives to once again be the talk of the entire palace.


End file.
